


As The Strings Tighten

by Ozymanreis



Series: Tumblr Drabbles [18]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Crescendo, M/M, Playing the Melody, The Thieving Magpie, violin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-05
Updated: 2014-06-05
Packaged: 2018-02-03 14:07:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1747394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ozymanreis/pseuds/Ozymanreis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"My criminal of choice, obviously." Sherlock quips, mindful of Moriarty's wandering palms. He bends to put down the bow, but Jim stays his hand, "Don't stop on my account. You're positively ravishing when you play."</p>
            </blockquote>





	As The Strings Tighten

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #67: Playing the Melody

Whether or not Sherlock Holmes is aware that he's having a guest today, he plays an appropriate song on his violin. 

Creeping up the stairs of 221B, Moriarty tries in vain to skip the creaking stairs, _But it's an old house, all of them squeak_. As the step shifts and the consulting criminal grimaces, Sherlock immediately stops his bow.

 _There's only one person that stops when I do_ … He smirks, _You could always call ahead, Jim._ Resuming the melody as if nothing happened, he finds it hard to concentrate, anticipating his favorite company. 

Twisting the door handle as carefully as humanly possible, Jim pokes in his head to see the detective facing away from the door, _So trusting, so darling…_

" _La Gazza Ladra_." Moriarty lilts in a perfect Italian accent, "Rossini's finest work." 

"Mhm." Sherlock hums, barely acknowledging Jim's presence as he scribbles down the new notes.

The smaller man peeks over Sherlock's shoulder, reading the inscribed composition, "Adapting the overture solely for violin? How ambitious." 

"Not exactly _difficult_." the detective drones, feeling Jim's breath tickle his neck, "Just need to find a way to incorporate the parts meant for snare drums…" 

"Why _The Thieving Magpie_? There are certainly more artful pieces you could do." Jim's fingers crawl up Sherlock's waist, "I even heard you playing Paganini once…" 

Sherlock grins, "Call it an homage." 

"Oh? To what?" 

"To _whom_."

"Touchy-touchy." Jim clucks his tongue, " _Whom_?"

"My criminal of choice, obviously." Sherlock quips, mindful of Moriarty's wandering palms. He bends to put down the bow, but Jim stays his hand, "Don't stop on my account. You're positively ravishing when you play."

"Hard to continue with you coiled around me…" 

"Sorry honey," he gently disengages and makes for the door, "Couldn't help myself." 

"That wasn't a complaint." It's Sherlock's turn to stop him, "Do stay." 

Jim crosses the room and deliberately sits in Sherlock's chair, "Go on then."

Shutting his eyes as the refrain carried on, Jim gets lost in the perfection of it all, _Is there_ anything _he's bad at?_ Opening his eyes again, all he sees is Sherlock, passionately playing on, _It's the same determination I see when you dance so wonderfully to my own little theme, constantly building… I wonder how naughty I can be before you finally turn me in?_

_Perhaps never._

_You live for the crescendo._

 


End file.
